The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1887-12-08
AN INCIDENT or OCEAN TRAVEL

AN INCIDENT OF OCEAN TRAVEL
4 He nerer pa, himself too mach IA esi
aepoc. II be made no advances 10 hi
frllo. travellers 90 shipbosrd. be did 20
repsl casual chat With any one wh'
talked With him
The waiter who bad charge oi bis bef,i
Z bsJ ouiy seen a sick man 10 the ,iaicroom
and there MAS reason for II. for tb'
I 9ealher ai the start bad been bad mon
sieur7 vas not eIsc,ing. and 30 the waite
VAS glad when monsieur got quite vel
again. Indeed. II Was very remarkable
recovery. for when monsieur vas dressed
and came Oh deck, he seemed 10 have
grown ten. fifteen years younger No on'
indeed. had taken any particular notice q
the gentleman. II had been cold aud raw
10 Liverpool. and heavy coats and shswl'
were 10 demand, so monsieur bad worn !
thick muller around bis neck, WHICH had
been drawn up 10 his eyes, aud be had
coushed great deal When he had
cnwled up the gang plank with feeble,
halling step. the surgeon, who was sharp
enough, had said 10 himself, There's q
passenger who is going to be nuisance,
calling me up at all hours OF the uigbt
But that passenger never did disturb the
surgeon. and SO was forgotten.
Monsieur might have found companions
amoug the foreign element on board, but
be did not seem to banker after such ac
quaintancesbip. II was apparent that he
spoke number Of languages, aud sll
fairly we'll There was Miss McBiddie,
Of Denver, who triel her Italian on him,
and be bore it without vincing Miss
McBiddies scquaintancesbip bad com
menced when monsieur bad very adroitly
prevented an oil cruet from pouring
over her dress. He was quietly, not OBJ
trusvely polite to the lady. She had lef'
rug 10 the cabin among the fifty other
rugs, aud he had selected hers and
brought il on deck for her ut the precise
time when she wanted it. Now that
showed observation on his part, to know
the exact shade and color OF her wrap, and
she was gratified by the attention Then
there came flying scud, bucketfu Of
water, aboard. and monsieur had iuter
posed bis coat Just iu time, aud saved the
lady from a wetting. 1t was natural that
they should talk Evidently he was q
man who, though he had Travelled much.
had never yet been 10 the United States;
in fact, he told her that at the second day
OF their acquaintance. He wanted infor-
nation. ibid the lady krow anything
about the West ?" Lots, was Miss Nc
Bddie's terse reply; "the West is my
home"
He bad some idea of going to Montana,
or to California, but was SO ignorant of
the lay OF the land Europeans were so
stupid, and their conceptions Of America
so false, Perhaps he might ask some
questions lady could not exactly reply
to, as to the possibilities OF acquiring land
In America, and its value" Then Miss
McBiddie confessed her want Of defuite
Information.
But papa is the man for you. Owns a
good deal OF land 10 all the territories, and
has got it all down fine. replied the lady,
and that led up to sn introduction to Col.
McBiddie.
Certainly we could fix you up right
away. Want quiet aud rest, and the finest
climate in the world. and bit Of hunting?
Know just the spot There is ranch
that would suit you to dot. Come on to
Denver. where live, and l should be
proud to show you round. Just ask any
body for Col. McBiddie in Denver, and
yoa will have no trouble in spotting me.
That is about the way the intimacy be-
gan.
IT would be so nice, papa, to have a
msn like that in Denver" Aud that night
Almeria McBiddie mad macy clever plans
His manners are very elegant" she
thought. He hasn't said he was a prince
Or baron; but what nice foot be has
And such we'll kept hand and nervous
iogers. that look as if they would take a
strong grip Of anything they held. There
Is great deal OF latent energy in the man.
Yes, monsieur Alexis pleases me more
han any one bave met on this trip; aud
strange, is it not, that should find him
ust as sm going home He told me
,alf OF his story today, when papa was ab
'ent. On account of political opinions Of
, liberal character be was forced to leave |
Poland. His lands were just across the
Russian border" And then Miss McBid-
lie went to sleep and dresmed OF Thad
leus OF Warsaw.
Colonel McBiddic had, however, asked |
ome leading questions Of monsieur. "You
ire not Nihilist y
"Oh, dear me, no. ! am very thankful
hat some ancestors OF mine made matters
easy for me, their indolent
uccessor. II they scquirsd poor castle
md some land by means which might not
70 considered quite Legitimate today, am
oBtent to let things remain as they are;
'uls what might have been right or might
n the past will hardly do for today. /
Uttered with the governor OF my province,
I'D took my precautions fed. but | /
ad Tor some years before taken my pre-
autions and you cannot blame me. You
10 no, hold me in the wrong. colonel r.
"0h, not at all
"it might have been sn act o! cowsrdice
0 leave, but still IL was a sacrifice; for